Data processing apparatus



1966 s KITROSSER DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed April 30, 1965 H .SN ka m a 0% TT NI E K m m S ATTORNEYS apparatus.

tures as high as 130 F. in 12 seconds.

United States Patent 3,293,775 DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS SamuelKitrosser, Lexington, Mass, assignor to ltek Corporation, Lexington,Masa, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 452,326 3Claims. (Cl. 34156) This is a continuation-in-part of application SerialNo. 376,979 filed June 22, 1964.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for improvedphotographic processors, and more particularly, deals with improvedapparatus for drying wet processed photographic material.

The invention accordingly provides for a straight line, self-threading,processing station capable of continuous processing and dryingphotographic materials, such as film or paper, either in rolls or insheets.

Prior art self-threading, beltless photographic processing apparatusdepend mainly on transport mechanisms employing rollers that have hardand unyielding surfaces. The transport of material through theseprocessing ap- Paratus is made possible, for example, by either theclearance space between the rollers, the diameter differences of therollers or the staggered array pattern. Other processing apparatus,utilizing pairs of resilient rollers that are arranged in configurationsdo not allow for forced circulation of processing fluids through theprocessing In this type of processing apparatus, the material is usuallytransported along a curved path, necessitating mechanisms, such asmechanical guides, for conveyance of the material.

Recent improvements in photographic materials have produced filmscapable of rapid processing at tempera- A further example iscommercially available film that is completely processed in 25 secondsat 100 F. Materials manufactured for the microfilming and graphic artsindustry also employ improved accelerated processing techniques.Advances have been also made in photographic processing chemistry,providing rapid acting developing agents, such as pyrazolone derivativesknown commercially as phenidone. Photographic additives have beendeveloped to prevent excessive swelling of the emulsion layers. Theseadvances create the need for reliable processing methods and apparatuswhich allow precise, rapid, high tempera ture and kinetically efiicientapplication of processing gases such as air utilized for dryingpurposes, coupled With a proper transport system for the photographicmaterial. In addition duplitized films, such as films used inradiography require substantially the same processing on both itssurfaces.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide anapparatus which utilizes a processing gas such as air to processelongated material such as film by contacting the material as it passesthrough a processing station.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor processing a continuous web utilizing a processing gas such as airto supply motive power to the web as it passes through a processingstation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor processing a continuous web by utilizing a processing gas such asair to support the web within the processing station to therebyeliminate rollers or other guiding or supporting means.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor processing a continuous web by utilizing a processing gas such asair to support the leading edge of the web as its first enters theprocessing station, thereby to make the processing stationself-threading.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for processing a continuous web by utilizing a processing gassuch as air to support the web within the processing station in a mannerto eliminate flutter of the material as it passes through the processingstation.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for processing a continuous web by utilizing a processing gassuch as air to dry both sides of the web simultaneously as it passesthrough the processing station.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to pro vide anapparatus for processing a continuous web by utilizing a processing gassuch as air to transport the web through the processing station withoutdamaging its surface.

Another object is to provide an improved data processing apparatus thatemploys few component parts, is easy to service, and simple to operate.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are setforth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself,however, both as to its organization and method of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional view of the data processing apparatus ofthe present invention.

The data processing apparatus utilized in conjunction with the presentinvention is shown in FIGURE 1 for processing a roll of photographicmaterial 20, such as film or paper, bearing a latent data image which isto be processed to a visible image. Generally, the data processingapparatus comprise a film magazine 102 for storing unprocessed material,a first processing station 104, a second processing station 106 and adrying station 108 which drying station embodies the present invention.It should 'be borne in mind that while two processing stations areillustrated, it is apparent that additional, identical stations may beadded to increase the number of steps of operation performed on material20. Conversely, it is apparent that the number of processing stationsmay be reduced to one without departing from the concepts of theinvention.

While not a part of the invention, and therefore, not shown, the dataprocessing apparatus may be part of a unitary data processing systemthat includes a processing solution supply means. The processingsolution supply means may incorporate a processing solutionreplenishment system to maintain the chemical activity of the processingsolution within certain predetermined limits. Additionally, a processingsolution temperature control system may also be incorporated to providemore accurate processing control.

Magazine 102 and processing stations 104 and 106 are enclosed in alight-tight housing 110. Magazine 102 is provided with a removable,light-tight cover 112 to permit access to magazine 102 for mounting theroll of unproccssed material 20. Where material is a sheet of film orpaper that is to be processed, removal of cover 112 permits insertion ofthe sheet directly into the processing station. If the apparatus is tobe used in a darkroom and manually fed, then the apparatus may beconstructed without magazine 102 without departing from the invention.

Light-tight housing 110 is provided with a wall portion 114a thatseparates magazine 102 from first processing station 104. Wall 114a isprovided with an entry passage 116a. A wall 1114b separates the firstprocessing station from the second processing station and a passage1.1611 provides communication therebetween. Similarly, light-tighthousing 110 is provided with an end wall portion 114s that has a passage116a between second processing station 104 and drying station 108. Thehorizontal center lines of passages 116a, 116b and 1160 define asubstantially straight line.

Each processing station 104 and 106 is identical and is provided with apair of feed rollers 44 and 44a, respectively, and a pair of exitrollers 44 and 44a, respectively. Also each processing station 104 and106 is provided with a processing solution applicator 200 and 200a,respectively. In turn, each processing solution applicator 200 and 200a,is coupled to the processing solution supply system by conduit 36 and36a, respectively. Return of the processing solution from each of theprocessing stations 104 and 106 is provided by conduits 38 and 33a,respectively. Direction of How of processing solution into and out ofthe processing station is indicated by the arrows.

Drying station 108 which embodies the present invention is provided witha pair of feed rollers 44b and a pair of exit rollers 4412. Disposedbetween roller pairs 44b and 44b are dual air chambers 120a and 12012.Each air chamber 120a and 12012 is coupled to a source of heated air ata predetermined temperature. The heated air i forced into chambers 120aand 12% by fans 202 in the direction of the arrows. Each air chamber120a and 120!) is provided with nozzle slots 122a and 1221), situated atthe material input end of the channel, as shown, for directing theheated air at an acute angle such as 45 with the longitudinal axis ofthe channel and against the upper and lower surfaces of the materialpassing therebetween. The longitudinal axis of the channel will lie inthe plane of the processed web in this embodiment of the invention.

With this configuration it may be seen that the lower applied stream ofdrying air will have a vertical velocity component which will supportthe leading edge of the web as to make the station self-threading. Thehorizontal velocity components will produce a stream throughout thelength of the channel which is substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the web and which will coincide with thelongitudinal axis of the channel. The velocity of the air emerging fromslots 220a and 22.01) is adjusted to provide for laminar flow within thechannel so that the web does not flutter and is supported by the streamalong the central portion of the channel. Flutter is undesirable sincephotographic film for instance may stick to the walls of the channel toproduce buckling or otherwise mar the film surface. In one embodiment ofthe present invention the fluorocarbon resin tetrafiuoroethylene wasapplied to the channel walls, in case any flutter should occur from timeto time, to prevent sticking. This resin is marketed under the trademarkTeflon by Du Pont.

Due to molecular shearing action at the surfaces of the web, thehorizontal air stream will additionally supply motive power to the web.

The major design parameters of the disclosed embodiment of the inventionfor processing photographic film are as follows:

Width of nozzles 1122a, 1122b /8.

These parameters are not particularly critical. The flow rate must behigh enough to support the web and dry the film. Alterations of theseparameter to process assorted webs of various thicknesses andstiffnesses, and at various processing rates, will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art of fluid mechanics.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be thepreferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore,intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes andmodifications as are fairly within the true scope and spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus particularly well adapted for the drying of photographicsheet material comprising:

(a) drying structure having a photographic sheet conduit passagewayformed therein, said conduit passageway having an inlet portion forreceiving said sheets to be dried and an outlet portion for dischargingsaid sheets;

(b) drive means positioned adjacent said first inlet portion of saidconduit passageway for causing photographic sheet material driven bysaid drive means to be introduced into the inlet portion of said conduitpassageway;

(c) applicator means situated in the vicinity of the inlet portion ofsaid conduit passageway for applying drying gas to the upper and lowersurfaces of said sheets at a velocity low enough to produce continuouslaminar flow of drying gas throughout substantially the entire length ofsaid conduit passageway in substantially the same direction as thedirection of travel of said sheets and at a velocity high enough tosimultaneously support said sheet material on said drying gas both inthe vicinity of said inlet portion of said conduit passageway andthroughout substantially the entire length of said passageway to causethe dryer to be self-threading and to eliminate sheet fiutter.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said conduitpassageway comprises upper and lower portions having surfaces which arecontinuous throughout substantially the entire length of said conduitpassageway to aid in the prevention of flutter and abrasion of saidphotosensitive sheet material.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the surfaces of saidupper and lower portions are unperforated.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,060,430 11/1936Spooner 3423 2,081,945 6/1937 Massey et a1. 3418 2,144,919 1/1939Gautreau 3423 3,116,124 12/1963 Eolkin 34-156 FREDERICK L. MATTESON,1a., Primary Examiner.

JOHN J. CAMBY, Examiner.

1. APPARATUS PARTICULARLY WELL ADAPTED FOR THE DRYING OF PHOTOGRAPHICSHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING: (A) DRYING STRUCTURE HAVING A PHOTOGRAPHICSHEET CONDUIT PASSAGEWAY FORMED THEREIN, SAID CONDUIT PASSAGEWAY HAVINGAN INLET PORTION FOR RECEIVING SAID SHEETS TO BE DRIED AND AN OUTLETPORTION FOR DISCHARGING SAID SHEETS; (B) DRIVE MEANS POSITIONED ADJACENTSAID FIRST INLET PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT PASSAGEWAY FOR CAUSINGPHOTOGRAPHIC SHEET MATERIAL DRIVEN BY SAID DRIVE MEANS TO BE INTRODUCEDINTO THE INLET PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT PASSAGEWAY; (C) APPLICATOR MEANSSITUATED IN THE VICINITY OF THE INLET PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT PASSAGEWAYFOR APPLYING DRYING GAS TO THE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES OF SAID SHEETSAT A VELOCITY LOW ENOUGH TO PRODUCE CONTINUOUS LAMINAR FLOW OF DRYINGGAS THROUGHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID CONDUITPASSAGEWAY IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE DIRECTION OFTRAVEL OF SAID SHEETS AND AT A VELOCITY HIGH ENOUGH TO SIMULTANEOUSLYSUPPORT SAID SHEET MATERIAL ON SAID DRYING GAS BOTH IN THE VICINITY OFSAID INLET PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT PASSAGEWAY AND THROUGHOUTSUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID PASSAGEWAY TO CAUSE THE DRYER TOBE SELF-THREADING AND TO ELIMINATE SHEET FLUTTER.